New UN Ambassador Must Stand Firm for Syrian People

Haley Resisted Russian, Iranian Support for Assad Regime

October 15, 2018

Washington, DC — Americans for a Free Syria (AFS) celebrates the strong tenure of Ambassador Nikki Haley at the UN and urges President Trump to select a nominee who will stand up for Syrian civilians, resist Iranian expansion in Syria and pressure Russia and the Assad regime to negotiate a peaceful and just political transition through the Geneva process.

“Ambassador Haley knew that the designs of the Syria-Russia-Iran alliance are disastrous to U.S. national security and global stability—and she fought them head on at the UN. We will miss her strong leadership and clear voice for democracy and human rights in Syria,” Lina Murad, President of Americans for a Free Syria. “The next UN ambassador must not let up on Bashar al-Assad and his murderous allies. President Trump must nominate someone who understands that a political transition remains the only viable option to end the conflict and provide justice and resolution to the Syrian people.”

AFS urges the Trump Administration to select a UN ambassador who will:

1.      Earnestly push all parties toward the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), which identifies a path to institute a transitional governing body before establishing a new constitution and viable election process in Syria;

2.      Ensure no international reconstruction assistance will be made available until such a process has been implemented;

3.      Repeatedly name and shame Assad, Putin, and Rouhani for human rights abuses carried out by their regime and proxy forces, including barrel bombs, chemical weapons attacks, mass starvation, industrial-scale torture and execution of political dissidents, sniper attacks against pregnant women, and the deliberate targeting of medical facilities, schools, residential areas and community gathering places;

4.      Pursue the release of detained family members of Syrian Americans held in Assad regime prisons;

5.      Make it clear the United States will remain in eastern Syria until a viable political process has been established and Iranian proxy forces have left the country.

Americans for a Free Syria (AFS) is a non-partisan, non-profit that advocates for human rights, the rule of law and U.S. national security interests in Syria.

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